|
Fair Trade is a trading partnership which aims at sustainable development for excluded and disadvantaged producers. It seeks to do this by providing better trading conditions, by awareness raising and by campaigning.
The goals of Fair Trade are:
- To improve the livelihoods and well-being of producers by improving market access, strengthening producer organisations, paying a better price and providing continuity in the trading relationship.
- To promote development opportunities for disadvantaged producers, especially women and indigenous people, and to protect children from exploitation in the production process.
- To raise awareness among consumers of the negative effects on producers of international trade so that they exercise their purchasing power positively.
- To set an example of partnership in trade through dialogue, transparency and respect.
- To campaign for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.
- To protect human rights by promoting social justice, sound environmental practices and economic security.
THE FAIRTRADE MARK
The FAIRTRADE Mark is the one independent consumer guarantee that goods on sale in mainstream retail outlets have been fairly traded. The Fairtrade Foundation awards the Mark to products using the core ingredients of coffee, tea, cocoa, bananas, sugar, honey, juice and rice which have been bought from internationally recognised Fair Trade sources. The Fairtrade Foundation checks that Fair Trade criteria have been adhered to. Fair trading relations include:
- A price that covers the cost of production
- An additional social premium for development purposes
- Partial payment in advance to avoid small producer organisations falling into debt
- Contracts that allow long term production planning
- Long term trade relations that allow proper planning and sustainable production practices
- Fair production conditions include:
- For small farmers' cooperatives a democratic, participative structure
- For plantations/factories, reasonable working conditions and minimum environmental standards
|
